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4h 30m 3h 05m

Episode 107: Under the Arch Heart’s Eye

Bell’s Hells, after receiving formal titles from the Voice of the Tempest amongst the many movers and shakers of Exandria who are gathered in the center of Vasselheim to decide how to tackle the threat of Ludinus, the Vanguard, and all that seems to be emerging dangerously from the Red Moon Ruidus. You all heard word that one of Ludinus’ Simulacrum is travelling with the Sorrowlord Zathuda to connect with the Unseelie Court for some semblance of and additional plot that hadn’t been considered.
Gathering your things, you all went and headed out to the Fey Realm, meeting up with Nana Morri. There in the Ligament Manor you gathered your thoughts, your plans, and set out to the Shrine of Gilded Gifts (an abandoned temple in the center of an abandoned fey city) where this meeting was supposed to take place. As you carefully infiltrated the surroundings of this temple, you caught the arrival of both the dark fey Unseelie emissary and its surrounding guard, as well as Ludinus, and the Sorrowlord and his terrifying dragon, Gloamglut. After quietly (with the aid of Ira Wendigoth, The Nightmare King of who you called from his hiding spot on Ruidus to help you) you quietly wiped out the entirety of the exterior guard without being noticed, and upon surrounding the exterior of the massive temple grounds, immediately brought to life the stone statue of the Arch Heart in the middle of this Arch Heart temple to distract them.
In that chaos Fearne rushed in and turned one of the two central pillars of this temple floor into mud (which both cracked some of the structural foundation of this temple and left two o the three emissary figures from the Unseelie currently held and restrained with the now muck-filled quicksand floor). As Gloamglut, the Sorrowlord, and Ludinus’ Simulacrum currently finish figuring out what is happening and turn in your (Fearne) direction as you spin to flee, the rest of you on the outskirts of this templed, either the front door, or in this case, Imogen and Laudna (who are in an upper floor looking in through a series of visual slits in the stone),

It’s Time to Roll Initiative.


Previous Episode: “Unseelie Interrupted”

  • UltragrampsOPM
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    ♪Episode Song References♪

    ᕕ( ᐛ)ᕗ

    Highlights

    • 00:01:30 Tinyface Marisha
    • 00:05:36 Sam won’t say no to makeup, maybe a little smokey-eye.
    • 00:06:34 Liam’s Jersey pride
    • 00:12:28 Roll Inish Bish
    • 00:13:09 Robbie smells Travis’ dice and has a strong reaction
    • 00:14:56 Liam’s initiative roll is so bad that Orym is last for the first time in the entire campaign.
    • 00:15:47 Marisha:“First thing’s first. I’m the realest.”
    • 00:18:18 Chetney gets out the Ludinus notes (from the same room where the funnel harness was found) and hands them to Fearne.
    • 00:18:35 Taliesin starts signaling Travis (about the part of the plan Travis forgot) to use Brand of Castigation on Fearne in the shape of a rocking horse.
    Brand of Castigation

    Once per long or short rest, whenever you damage a creature with a weapon that has an active Rite you can channel hemocraft magic to sear an arcane brand into that creature. The brand has the following features:

    • Always know the direction of the creature as long as it’s on the same plane as you
    • Your brand lasts until you dismiss it, or you apply a brand to another creature. Your brand counts as a spell for the purposes of dispel magic, and the spell level is equal to half of your blood hunter level (maximum of 9th level spell).
    • each time the branded creature deals damage to you or a creature you can see within 5 feet of you, the branded creature takes psychic damage equal to your Hemocraft modifier (minimum of 1)
    • 00:23:00 Braius’ Charcoal rendering of Fearne for Inspiration
    • 00:27:10 Marisha:“It’s my eye makeup. I’m serving cunt.”
    • 00:30:00 Fan Art Moment Ashton peeking up from the ground like an orca hunting seals on the ice.
    • 00:31:37 Fearne initiates the deception
    • 00:32:53 Matt:“One of these days I’m just going to Homer Simpson into Oblivion. It’s gonna be so nice.”
    • 00:33:04 Marisha makes a noise of excitement at Ashley’s high roll thinking others were also going to celebrate.
    • 00:33:30 Fearne:“Uppies!”
    • 00:34:23 Fearne takes a knee in peaceful protest.
    • 00:36:13 Dorian surrounds Fearne in a Force Cage to protect against Gloamglut’s breath attack and also plugs the entrance to the temple. “I’m sorry to put you in a cage. I know you wanted to spread your legs and be free!”
    • 00:38:07 Sorrowlord Zathuda yanks on the reigns, saving Fearne.
    • 00:41:04 Travis:“Look at the split lower jaw! I didn’t see it from my side.”
      Marisha:“That’s cool. That’s terrifying, but that’s cool.”
    • 00:43:05 “We don’t need your influence on my daughter’s true path here.”
    • 00:46:15 Imogen hops in Gloamglut’s saddle with a well-timed Misty Step
      Marisha:“He left him open. Come on, horse girl!”
      Sam:“Is this a Western Saddle or…?”
    • 00:47:22 You can certainly try…
    • 00:49:18 Laura gets excited about the additional abilities while riding a dragon
    • 00:50:39 Ashley accidentally does a great impression of Navi.
    • 00:51:51 Clarification on Zathuda’s position
    • 00:52:11 Ira appears behind Zathuda. “It’s been a while, Athion.”
      Zathuda:“Fuck!” (very Geralt)
      Fan Art Moment Zathuda caught in the middle between Dread Laudna and The Nightmare King
    • 00:58:30 Marisha:“Me and Ira baby…(nervous mumbling)…yeah.”
    • 00:58:56 Marisha:“Force Cage fucks you again.”
      Travis:“If you know, you know.”
    • 01:00:15 Matt knows Chetney’s Dark Augmentation ability without looking it up.
    • 01:01:47 Taliesin:“He’s not even a real wizard, he’s a snow wizard.”
      Matt:(Ludinous voice)“That’s not nice.”
      Laura:“Think of Pumat Sol!”
    • 01:05:05 IDubz takes a Legendary Action for an additional attack.
    • 01:06:00 Counterspell
    • 01:09:03 Laura exterminates a gnat on Liam’s butt
    • 01:09:56 Matt trolls Taliesin a little bit.
    • 01:11:21 Taliesin:“He’s trying to fuck with us.”
      Travis:“I don’t think he’s trying to do it. The fucking 'tis happening.”
    • 01:12:25 Ashton breaks Luda’s concentration on Dimension Door and proceeds to make a slushy.
    • 01:14:16 Marisha:“I forgot that they explodiate!”
    • 01:18:57 Epic Fearne Moment First use of Fiery Teleportation in the campaign and escapes the Force Cage
    • 01:21:26 Laudna:(under her breath)“You have proof.”
      Fearne:“I promise you and I have proof. I was fucking getting to it!..”
      Ashley then busts out a nat20 roll on “the dice that everyone hates” and spikes her Mister plush in celebration.
    • 01:22:47 Robbie:“I’m still in the hallway…I’ll get there.”
    • 01:25:41 Robbie:“I deserve it!”
      Travis:“I deserve to be punished.”
    • 01:26:37 Travis takes 1d4 lightning damage
    • 01:27:17 Laura:“Well, Ludinus was still alive when I was gonna pull on it.”
      Travis and Ashley share a laugh
    • 01:29:26 Travis carries the stunned fly out of the room.
      Sam:“Offscreen gunshot.”
    • 01:34:49 Zaddy:“I think we all have aligned goals to a degree, but we have to talk it through, now that we’re not being watched.”
    • 01:39:01 Zaddy:“…but the Unseelie has a future without that pissant elf trying to guide it, and my daughter might very well be the key.”
    • 01:43:00 How to Train your Dragon
    • 01:43:53 Laura nervously pulls a Mary Katherine Gallagher with her hands in her armpits.
    • 01:47:10 Orym:“The fawn has evidence you need to see before you can make any decisions.”
      Travis’ hyped reaction is very supportive
    • 01:50:43 Chetney still milking his lucky Molaesmyr reveal
    • 01:52:01 Zaddy:“…While I think what he plans to achieve can and will be done, he should not be the one granted that ability…we can make it our own.”
    • 01:54:07 Ashley makes a faces during whispers from a high insight check.
    • 01:54:44 Zaddy:“But your destiny awaits. As She Who Ate the Gods, Inferno Embraced and Caster of the Deepest Shadows. You are the future, Fearne Calloway, Lady Fearne Zathuda.”
    • 01:58:14 Imogen:“Thanks for the ride.”
    • 02:01:33 Zaddy:“I want us all to be free to pursue our natures.”
    • 02:02:45 Emissary is visibly disappointed in Fearne’s reluctance to be a vessel.
    • 02:03:52 Zaddy:“She knows there’s something in her that wants out. Something that takes what it wants. Something that wants to grab and feel unbridled. True freedom. A wild power within. A hunger for something…”
    • 02:09:02 Liam:“I follow he like a page.”
    • 02:11:04 How to Scritch Your Dragon
      The tip of its upper face, between the eyes and above the mouth.
    • 02:11:27 Psychic Lance by Imogen
    • 02:14:36 Sweet air high five after a clutch Silvery Barbs
    • 02:15:33 Travis returns from the longest pee.
    • 02:17:29 Orym’s Grasping Vine requires concentration when the whip is out.
    • 02:20:45 Moar Psychic Lance
    • 02:23:15 Guards:“Fuck that noise.”
    • 02:25:05 The last supporting pillar goes down.
    • 02:25:43 Sam:“Patricide!”
    • 02:29:10 Thunder Wave by Braius with bonus goose boost
    • 02:31:15 Ashley “If he dies, he dies.”
    • 02:36:36 Marisha:“You want this pet dragon.”
      Ashley:“I kinda do.”
    • 02:37:53 Marisha:“Silvery Barbs?”
      Matt:(dripping with sarcasm through gritted teeth)“I fucking love that spell.”
      Travis:“I don’t think you meant it when you said you love it.”
      Matt:“It’s universally despised by anyone who plays this game as a DM.”
    • 02:38:46 Marisha:“Is it bad if I kill your dad?”
    • 02:44:22 Ira only has Legendary Actions not Legendary Resistances
      Travis:(Palpatine voice)“How disappointing.”
    • 02:49:34 Matt:“I know we’re going a little long here…”
    • 02:50:39 Braius:“Please Lord, give me a sign.”
    • 02:51:47 Fan Art Moment Unconscious Zathuda on the ancient temple’s central platform (revealed after the fall to portray an intricately carved face of the Arch Heart).
    • 02:53:00 Gloamglut flees
    • 02:55:13 Laura:“What about Ira?”
      IDubz:“I have my means, don’t worry.”
    • 02:59:03 Ashton:(to Chetney)“You mind taking a punch?”
    • 03:02:55 Braius and Imogen are still carrying the unconscious body of Zathuda to the exit when the temple collapses on them.

    INTERMISSION

    • UltragrampsOPM
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      Here as the dust and rubble settle, two of your compatriots vanishing beneath the fallen and crumbled stone, clutching two unconscious figures (one still dying, by the way…)
      In absolute darkness, Braius and Imogen, in the moment of accepting the possible end of your life, the sound of crumbling destruction consumes all around you and then stops. You reach around and the stone is all around you. It’s just stopped. Like a little cavity has kept you there. All of the stones of the entire crumbled temple begin to shift and begin to pull back. They lift and curl like the receding wave on a beach. The rubble begins to rescind and you watch as (in a matter of moments) the temple begins to reconstruct itself.
      The towers standing in place, the cracks still present, but just set back. Where all the vines and leaves were, they have been left crushed on the ground, and now stands the beautiful, polished (if cracked) temple of the Arch Heart, gorgeous in it’s imperfection.
      All of you stand agape watching this happen. As it rises up and the dust settles, you see standing in that front hallway, Imogen and Braius hunched over where they thought everything would come to an end. All of you also feel a presence. The very air itself seems to fill with force, like you’re all on the cusp of something important. The faintest bit of golden light glimmers from the temple chamber you just fled from and the air seems to grow warm.

      • 03:19:41 Dorian lays on the charm to avoid releasing the emissary and then starts wrapping rope around the unconscious body.
        "Yes, yes, he needs this. It’s a medical thing. "
      • 03:21:23 Fan Art Moment Meerkat Orym
      • 03:25:26 Sam:“If I fail the medicine check he will die forever.”
        Laura:“Okay.”
        Travis:“Hey, let the dice decide.”
      • 03:27:17 Ashton loots Zathuda’s sword
      • 03:27:30 Travis:(kidding)“I take the funnel out of the Bag of Holding and I just lay against her dad…”
        Chetney:“Oh! Is that not what we’re doing? We’re not doing that? Okay.”
      • 03:28:26 As you all jog into the temple past all the walls, you can see the thousands of spiderweb cracks throughout, but it all maintains its previous shape. You feel the cracks and (as beautiful temple as the temple was) it’s a different kind of beauty now. It’s fallen and reforged. Ashton, you find a very familiar and comforting pattern to that. As you all begin to step through the secondary hallway (in towards the center of core temple), the shattered fountain itself is reformed on the opposite side. Everything in this room, the pillars themselves, have now restructured themselves. Even that which was turned to mud has now been reformed back into the stone it once was and stands unscathed if not for the intricate broken lines that weave through everything, and it’s beautiful. As you all begin to step into the chamber, all the bits of shale and rock that was first dashed against the far wall gathers into the statue of the Arch Heart (where it once was at the opposite end of the interior) and it just stands there, resolute, smiling.
        It’s head shakes and looks down at the rest of you.
      • 03:30:46 Abubakar Salim Takes the DM Chair The statue looks and regards each and every one of you, taking you all in. Stops at Braius. They walk out of the podium. It’s about eight foot tall. Looks at you.
        “Did you really have to do that?”
      • 03:32:39 This sound. You’ve all heard it before. But from where?
        Surely, and for a short moment, your minds are catapulted back to the days of your birth, the moments you were literally ripped from the womb of your bearer. As the sky begins opening, these portals begin shooting out and these arms start snatching you and pulling you out from where you are. You find youselves in a field. Imagine if you will this vast expanse of delicate crystalline reeds, swaying rhythmically in time with one another. Above you are stars, but each star looking unique and individual. They stand there proud and close. It’s almost as if you could reach them.
        This cool air hits you, it’s fragrant and sweet and subtle. The smell of roses. A smell that makes you think of grace, perfection, beauty. Now you see a figure standing 30 feet away from you. They’re form is outlined by this soft glow of starlight. They look naked, but their skin is not as the flesh as you’d normally see. They’re a living canvas of a starry sky. A tapestry of constellations. He beckons you, Braius.
      • 03:35:27 AH:“Swear fealty to me and I’ll let you live…So close, so close. I thought I had you…”
      • 03:38:12 You don’t know any different. The feeling you have is so powerful and potent, it’s raw. It’s almost as if you are within the presence of divinity itself.
      • 03:41:54 Orym confesses that he’s afraid of “breaking the balance” that allows both mortals and the deities to thrive.
      • 03:43:02 Laudna recalls to the Arch Heart that they were “curious about oblivion” in the vision of the orb
      • 03:44:34 Ashton:“I usually charge for that.” LARPing as a pimp as a jealous reaction. Fantastically cringe.
      • 03:46:52 AH:“I want to let go. I want my family to let go. Now, how we let go…well, Big Doors don’t work. Death? No, no.”
      • 03:47:01 AH:“Do you know what it means to become a Vessel?”
      • 03:48:02 Laudna:“I actually know quite a lot about what it’s like to be a vessel with something else inside of you.”
      • 03:50:22 We don’t get to know who the other diety is that wants to ‘let go’ with the Arch Heart. “Why ruin the fun?”
      • 03:52:09 AH proposes the idea that they take control of Ludinus’ plan and use the power of Predathos to chase off the gods.
      • 03:54:36 AH:“If you’re too slow, then we’re going to repeat the Calamity all over again. Then we go back to building a gate and waiting for the next moment to happen.”
      • 03:55:42 Dorian:“How does it feel to have the shoe on the other foot?”
      • 04:00:05 Chetney asks about the two gods that were absorbed/destroyed by Predathos in the vision.
      • 04:03:03 Ashton:“Does your family know about this?”
        AH:“Oh no. I mean, I’m pretty sneaky.”
      • 04:03:51 AH:(to Ashton the Rock Punk)“Does it make you hard?”
      • 04:05:03 Braius wants to know why there isn’t an option to try sacrificing one god and seeing if Predathos stops.
      • 04:06:39 AH:“He will not turn on humanity because you are nothing to Predathos. You are simply specks of dust to Predathos.”
        Orym:“Well I step on ants every day because I don’t know they’re there. I’m a little worried about the same thing, Lord.”
      • 04:07:01 AH:“Containing it in this makeshift moon has obviously not worked.”
      • 04:07:45 Braius:“All your family?”
      • 04:08:41 Abubakar channels Asmodeus!
      • 04:11:10 Arch Heart imitating the Allfather being melodramatic about “my children”
      • 04:12:50 AH:“You are this close to an event happening again. The only difference is that not all of us are aligned on acting. There is a divide within the family.”
      • 04:15:19 Arch Heart blushes by turning gold.
      • 04:18:43 Dorian:“I will never care for the gods, ever.”
      • 04:20:25 AH:“The idea of stepping in or actively partaking opens the door for everyone to partake in.”
      • 04:21:09 Arch Heart pulls a star from the sky.
      • 04:22:29 The star seems to whisper “knowledge is the weapon”
      • 04:23:52 This is the hair that the Arch Heart dropped to Exandria at the end of the Aeor vision before the gods left to prepare and shut the Divine Gate.
      • 04:24:32 A mask. Black feathers, and then a whisper,
        “Come find me.”
      • 04:25:49 Bell’s Hells awaken on the cold floor of the temple.
      • 04:26:33 Sam makes a stink about liking Abu’s voice more than Matt’s.
        Matt:“Braius doesn’t wake up.”
        As your senses come to you, one by one, the blurry experience of being back in your body begins to become more and more familiar as you sit up here in the cracked chamber of the reforged temple of the Arch Heart. The statue stands resolute and still. A golden band wrapped around your (Imogen) finger and the echoes of the choices to be made and the times to come.
      The Wing of Wemembwance

      Manifested from the Arch Heart, this ring forms an invisible web-like weave around the wearer.
      +2 to AC
      +2 to Spell Hit bonus
      +2 Spell Save DC
      Advantage on CON saving throws.
      When maintaining concentration, as an action, you can activate the latent arcane power within this band.
      Roll a d20. If you roll above your current hit points, you cast Meteor Swarm.
      If you roll less than or equal to your current HP, you take 20d6 fire damage and 20dg bludgeoning damage.

  • UltragrampsOPM
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    3 days ago

    🎶 Good Morning. Let’s do it.
    Ride it. My dragon.
    My saddle’s…waitin.
    Come and…jump on it. 🎶
    (Ginuwine - Pony (Temultuous Mix))


    with the Laudna figurine looking on from the bottom right corner


    from the POV of the Laudna mini?

    • thisisdee@lemmy.worldM
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      5 days ago

      What’s everyone’s predictions for what Sam means?

      Personally as a Dorym shipper I’m hoping they finally…do something. But also a small part of me is hoping for curious about how they’d handle multiple deaths or getting close to TPK. Gonna be an exciting battle though!

      • J'Pol @lemmy.sdf.org
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        5 days ago

        I think that if there were multiple deaths, there would likely be some kind of ceremony in one of the two one shots (Mighty Neon and Vox Machina), wherever the “final blow” happens.

        • thisisdee@lemmy.worldM
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          5 days ago

          I think maybe they’d add more episodes for M9 and VM if there are multiple deaths in BH. Cos I don’t know if they have enough time, or if it would make sense, for BH to suddenly add a few new characters

          • J'Pol @lemmy.sdf.org
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            5 days ago

            That seems likely. Especially if a TPK happens and they don’t get to show the end (whichever way that might take the story).

      • UltragrampsOPM
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        5 days ago

        The break isn’t until after 3 hours into the episode. Sounds pretty intense if Matt couldn’t find a stop point.

        • thisisdee@lemmy.worldM
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          5 days ago

          Good point! I think we’re gonna start the episode with the battle? Man, I’m excited & nervous

            • thisisdee@lemmy.worldM
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              5 days ago

              I’m tempted, but I’m not fully caught up in C3 so I’m not sure. I might just have it on in the background while I work so maybe not fully paying attention. Although if it is that intense I don’t know if I can look away

  • thisisdee@lemmy.worldM
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    5 days ago

    First time Orym is last in initiative. Advantage on initiative and +5, then a 2 on rollies (against Imogen’s 3!) Great start gang!